Tangled in Tinsel
by pandorabox82
Summary: Hotch is finally out of WitSec, and starting a new life with JJ. But how will he react to her news on their first Christmas together?


Hotch let out a long-suffering sigh as he heard the plaintive mew of their kitten coming from the direction of the tree. Jessica let out a light chuckle as she poured hot chocolate into the waiting mugs before reaching out to pat his shoulder. "You were the one who gave in to the boys. You didn't have to add a real kitten to the family, especially around the holidays."

"I know, but with all the drama from Will moving to New Orleans, and my coming out of WitSec, we just felt like it was good to give the boys something that they really wanted."

His sister in law nodded as she arranged the mugs on a tray and gestured with her head towards the doorway. "Well, it appears that you're going to have to play the knight in shining armor again, Aaron," she said as they made their way to the living room. JJ was sitting on the couch, rocking Michael in her arms as Henry and Jack hopped around the tree, scaring the kitten more than helping it to come down. "All right, boys, stop chasing Frannie and come drink your hot chocolate."

Henry shot her a look, but then Jack was punching his arm lightly before making his way over to the coffee table and picking up his reindeer mug and plopping down on the floor at JJ's feet. "JJ, did you remember to pick up the gingerbread men from Aunt Penelope's?" he asked as he looked up at them, an expectant smile on his lips.

JJ shook her head a little before giving Hotch a nervous smile. That took him aback, and he tried not to frown, knowing that Jack would take his cues from him and how he reacted. "I asked her to run them by before she went over to Derek and Savannah's. She had a last-minute addition to make."

A soft gasp escaped Jessica's lips, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what they both knew and he didn't. As he tried to figure out what JJ could possibly have been talking about, he went over to the Christmas tree and gently untangled Frannie from the tinsel she was wrapped in. "You have to stop climbing so high, we're not always going to be here to rescue you," he crooned softly as he bundled the kitten close to his chest before making his way over to the sofa and taking a seat next to his girlfriend. "Did you know what time Penelope said she would be stopping by?"

"It shouldn't be too long now."

They shared a look, and he gave her another skeptical look as he picked up his mug of hot chocolate, allowing Frannie to hop away and hide underneath the tree once more. Jessica curled up in the large recliner and, much to his shock, Henry crawled up into the chair as well, allowing the woman to drag her fingers through his hair as she stared at the fireplace. Every so often, a little smile would pass between Jessica and JJ, and Hotch couldn't help but feel left out.

About twenty minutes passed, and Michael had completely fallen asleep, before the doorbell rang. "I got it!" Henry called out before he popped up off the chair and ran for the front door.

JJ and Jessica laughed a little as Jack's head whipped around to see what he had missed out on. "Dozed off there for a bit, buddy?" he asked as his son sat up straight and stretched, trying to play off the little nap he had just taken.

Jack shook his head as he stood and went over to the tree, pushing some presents out of the way before picking up Frannie and pulling her into his lap. "I was just resting my eyes," he mumbled as he petted the kitten and smiled. "How long does it take to bring in a plate of cookies?"

"Oh, just about this long, little man!" They all looked up to see Penelope dressed up like an elf, a wide grin on her face. "I just had to make a last-minute stop at the store before I came over here, and a remembered to pick these up for you." She tossed Jack a bag of Christmas Hershey Kisses, and Jack grinned as he tore it open and grabbed out a handful.

Frannie started to bat at the kisses, and Henry shook his head as he went to rescue the treats, not paying attention to the adults any longer. Hotch moved to Penelope's side, looking at the plate that the woman was holding against her waist with her free hand. On it, he could make out gingerbread men that looked like his family, down to Jessica's curly hair and even Frannie's fur pattern. But as he continued to look, he noticed something odd about JJ's cookie self. In her arms was what appeared to be a baby, and he frowned before looking up at his girlfriend, seeing the smile that was now spread across her lips as she nodded.

"When, when did you find out?" he rasped out as he once more sat down next to her, knowing that a daffy smile was spreading across his face as the pieces started to come together in his mind.

JJ blushed a little as she looked up at Penelope. "Well, that's the reason why Penelope was late tonight. I hadn't been feeling well these past few days, and wondered if it was that stomach bug going around Michael's preschool. It lasted too long for it to be that, though, and I took the test this morning. We decided that this would be a cute way to tell you. I never got that with Will."

Bright tears sparkled in her eyes, and Hotch reached out for her free hand, clasping it as he nodded. "And we never got that with Jack. It was always a fraught time for Haley. But you told Jess before me?"

"I figured it out, Aaron. It's not hard when you have a working pair of eyes," Jessica teased as she joined them by the sofa and grabbing her cookie off the tray. "These turned out really well, Penelope! You're so creative."

"I try my best. Listen, I need to get going, you're not my last stop of the night. Bye!"

She shoved the plate into Hotch's hands before giving them a little wave and turning on her heel, disappearing from the room. "Well, that was sudden," he said as he bent to set the plate on the coffee table.

"I think she has a date tonight," JJ answered, only for Jess to shake her head. "Do you know something we don't?"

"Maybe. It's not so much a date as a reunion between friends. It's been a long time coming, but I really shouldn't tell you anymore, since it's not my story to tell." Jessica winked at them before heading over to the doorway as well. "And I need to get running, too. I'm the one who has a date."

He nodded absently before turning his focus entirely on JJ. "So, when will we be expecting our newest arrival?"

"Early August, if my math is correct. I think it happened the night I picked you up from the bus station." A bright blush stained her cheeks and Hotch nodded as he turned his attention to the tree. Jack and Henry had been preoccupied with the tree and Frannie, and so hadn't heard them talking, and Hotch wondered when would be a good time to tell them the news. After all, their lives had been in a state of upheaval since he had been cleared to come out of protection, and one more change might just be the tipping point in their fragile balance. "We can wait a few weeks to say anything, Aaron. Though Henry might catch on a little quicker than Jack or Michael, he was the first one to know that I was pregnant this last time, after all."

He nodded a little, thinking about all the false starts with Haley, all the times they'd gotten their hopes up, only to have them dashed. It seemed that JJ completely understood, since she reached out and took hold of his hand, threading their fingers together. "This is really the best Christmas present I could receive this year, you know. I have a family again, one that's continuing to grow." Bringing her hand up to his lips, he kissed it softly before looking down at Michael. "Now, how about we get the little guy to bed, and then we can shoo Henry and Jack upstairs before we relax down here?"

"That sounds wonderful." She gave him a tender smile as he stood and picked Michael up from her lap. "Though I don't know if I can move from this spot."

"Then don't. I'll be right back." JJ nodded and sighed a little as she stretched. He couldn't help but follow the lines of her body, taking in the very slight rounding of her stomach that signaled the start of their new life together. He smiled a little wider as Michael shifted in his sleep, throwing his arms around Hotch's neck as he burrowed in closer. This was home, this was his, and it was all he needed.


End file.
